Yaalon: Anyone Who Tries to Hurt Us Risks His Life

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon says that Israel will not stop searching until it finds three kidnapped Israeli youths

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Yosef Berger, 26/06/14 20:40

Moshe Yaalon

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Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon on Thursday said that Israel would continue to do everything in its power to find kidnapped Israeli teens Eyal Yifrah (19), Naftali Frenkel (16), and Gilad Sha'ar (16).

“From near and far there are states and terror organizations that seek to harm us, to wear us down and complicate our lives. They do this with the firing of rockets, attempts at delegitimizing us, the development of nuclear weapons, and the kidnappings of Israeli youths," said Ya'alon.

The minister said that the IDF is working around the clock to find the missing youths.

On Thursday night, security officials said that they had identified two Hamas terrorists involved in the kidnappings. The two, Marwan Kawasmeh and Amar Abu-Eisha, are well-known Hamas terrorists operating in the Hevron area. Security forces are in pursuit of the two, the army said.

Ya'alon added that the IAF will remain a central part of Israel's defense against terror groups from Gaza, as well as against hostile forces in Syria and Lebanon.

Referring to an incident in which an Israeli Arab youth was killed by “spillover” fire from Syria, Yaalon said that “as we responded to the incident in Syria so too we will respond to all such provocations and those who would challenge us. Anyone who shoots at Israelis, be they soldiers or civilians, is taking a very great risk to his life."